1. Technical Field
The following description relates to a printing device having a time-designating function to execute a printing operation at a designated (programmed) time, and a printing system employing such a printing device.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, a printing device having a time-designating function has been known. Such a printing device is configured such that a printing operation is executed at a designated time, which may be designated at an image processing device (e.g., a personal computer) connected to the printer by a user when a print request is transmitted from the image processing device to the printer. If such a print request (i.e., the execution time being designated) is received before the designated time, the print request is stored in a print queue as a time-designated print job.
An example of such a printer, or an image forming device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 2005-190017 (hereinafter, referred to as '017 publication). The image forming device disclosed in '017 publication is configured such that a print completion time is designated. Therefore, the printer calculates a print start time based on the print completion time and a time period required to execute a printing operation. If a new print job of which the print completion time is not designated is issued before the thus calculated print start time of the time-designated print job, the new print job is allowed to interrupt (i.e., allowed to be inserted in the print queue, before the time-designated print job). While, if the new print data is issued after the print start time of the time-designated print job, the new print job is prevented from interrupting the time-designated print job.